1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to generation of light from electromagnetic energy ranging from the lower megahertz to higher millimeter wave frequencies. In particular, the invention relates to an efficient and fault-tolerant mechanism for coupling the electromagnetic energy into a plasma lamp.
2. Description of the Related Art
One known technique for converting radio-frequency (RF) and other non-visible electromagnetic energy into visible light is to direct the energy into a plasma lamp. The energy heats the plasma, which in turn generates light.
However, problems exist in focusing the energy into a bulb included in the plasma lamp. First, conventional mechanisms for focusing the energy require extreme precision to work properly. As a result, construction of these mechanisms is exacting and expensive. Second, tuning conventional mechanisms to support the most efficient frequencies is problematic. As a result, an entirely new mechanism often must be designed for each type of bulb used in the plasma lamp for each particular application.